This chocolate Valentine’s Day heart cake was designed by my 9-year old son (who is now an adult!). He even instructed me on how I should put it together. His plan was to bake a sheet of cake and cut the layers with a heart shaped cookie cutter. Then stack them together with raspberry cream and pour a glossy chocolate ganache over the top. I know I’m biased, but I think he is brilliant. You can watch me make the cake in my Instagram video.
You can find many more cake recipes and all the tricks and techniques I’ve learned over my decades in professional kitchens in my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes!
Happy Valentine’s to my two sons, Henri and Charlie, and my husband Graham. My 3 muses.
Here is Henri’s vision, I must say this Valentine’s Day chocolate cake is as delicious as it is pretty.
Chocolate Valentine’s Day Heart Cake Filled with Raspberry Cream
Allow your valentine’s day heart cake to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If you need to refrigerate them, they will lose their shine. Once you return them to room temperature the shine will come back.
Leave simple or add some red pearls.
Or sprinkle with Raspberry Dust!
Ingredients
Devil's Food Cake
- 1 ½ cups sugar (320g)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (215g)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50g)
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup buttermilk ¾ cup plus 1 tsp lemon if you don't have buttermilk
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coffee
- ⅛ cup rum use more coffee if you don't want the booze
Buttercream or 2 cups heavy whipping cream plus ⅓ cup raspberry preserves
Ganache
- 1 lb bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line a 11×16″ Baking Sheet with parchment.
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Sift the cocoa and baking soda if they are lumpy.
- Whisk in the liquid ingredients, until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until just set or a tester comes out with moist crumb.
- Cut the devil’s food cake with a Heart Cookie Cutter. Depending on the size of your cutter this will get you about 12 2-layer cakes per sheet.
To Make The Cream
- Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks, add the raspberry preserves and continue whipping until stiff peaks. Fill a Pastry Bag, fitted with a round pastry tip and pipe the cream on half of the heart shaped cakes.
- Top the cream with another layer of cake. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the ganache.
Ganache
- Heat cream until just to simmer. Remove from heat. Dump in all of the chopped chocolate, swirl the pot to make sure the chocolate is completely covered by the cream. Let sit for about 3 minutes and then gently whisk until smooth. Allow to cool slightly to thicken enough to cling to the cakes.
- To pour the ganache on the cakes you will need to set them on a cooling rack that is over a sheet pan lined with parchment. You want to do this to catch all of the dripping chocolate.
- Slowly pour the ganache over the heart cake, starting in the middle and working outward. Be sure to check all the sides as you go. As you can see there will be a lot pooled up on the parchment, but you will scrape that up and be able to remelt and use again. See my instagram video to make sure it is the right consistency.
- If your ganache starts to get too thick, return the pot to the stove and heat on very low heat, just for a moment.
- Allow your valentine’s day heart cake to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If you need to refrigerate them, they will lose their shine. Once you return them to room temperature the shine will come back.
The heart cakes were absolutely delicious and beautiful! However only need 1 cup heavy cream for filling. Also can cut ganache in half. I want to know how Zoe was able to use cookie cutter without cake sticking to it. Thank you!
This was so much fun, easy to follow, and a beautiful and elegant result. Wowed everyone!
Why does your events site only go to 2013? Are you no longer travelling? I just found your wonderful site. Thank you
Hi Jay,
I rarely do public events other than for my books, so I was just updating the bread site event page. I will do both from now on, thanks for the reminder.
Zoë
What a delicious idea for Valentine’s day! Looks so good ♥
Hi Natalie,
Thank you, it is so delicious. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Zoë
je veux la recette en français SVP
Hi Farah,
I married into the name and don’t actually speak French, so sorry!
Zoë
OMG! that looks like something out of a high-end restaurant menu! beautiful pic, and lovely recipe:)
This would be perfect for the Valentine special giveaway I’m hosting on my blog, if you’d be kind enough to participate!:)
http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2010/02/valentine-super-bowl-recipe-carnival.html
I’ll have to try those as well, for my loved ones….
Wonderful idea!
Your son is quite the culinary genius, this is an ideal treat for any day! The cake looks moist and rich, perfect.